


A Yearly Tradition

by FarieWithAWandAndTardis



Series: Severus Snape Prompts [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Minerva McGonagall & Severus Snape Friendship, canon character death, do not repost to another site, i love them, pure fluff, that's what they are, the best of friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-26 10:13:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22488742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FarieWithAWandAndTardis/pseuds/FarieWithAWandAndTardis
Summary: Severus inadvertently starts a yearly Valentine's Day tradition with Minerva.
Relationships: Minerva McGonagall & Severus Snape
Series: Severus Snape Prompts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618045
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	A Yearly Tradition

When he was younger, he had despised any and every holiday – especially Valentine’s, when his classmates in primary would come in with sweets overflowing in their arms. One for everyone in the class, sometimes even the teacher, but never him. Things changed a bit when he met Lily – she would give him homemade tarts and sweets every year, even after fifth year. (It was the same way for his birthday, no matter the lack of response on his part.)

Despite her never saying, Severus knew it upset Lily to not get anything in return from him. Going to Hogwarts made it easier as he was able to ask the elves to deliver tarts to her, and once word about his potions talent got around their third year he began making money from tutoring. However, even with his memories of he and Lily, Severus didn’t truly enjoy Valentine’s until he began working at Hogwarts (not of his own volition, mind you).

He had decided to try and be friends with his professors turned co-workers, and twenty-one year old him had thought, for some inane reason, that sending McGonagall a bottle of mulled whiskey he had found when going through his father’s things was the best way to become friends with her.

He hadn’t been wrong, exactly, but the note he had given with it started a tradition he cherished more than anything. The note had read, “For a truly momentous occasion, don’t drink it all at once you drunkard. – Severus T. Snape”

McGonagall had looked at him shocked, gave him a small smirk, and proceeded to place the bottle in the back of her liquor cabinet to continue aging (collect dust was more like it). The next year, Severus found a package sitting on his plate at breakfast, a note on top. “Perhaps you should use this on your hair next time you brew Severus. – Minnie McGonagall”

Inside was a bottle of muggle heat protectant and a bottle of some French hair potion meant to protect one’s hair from potion fumes. His lips twitched at the sight as he began planning what he would get the next Valentine’s.

And so the years passed, each with a thoughtful gift and snarky note.

“In light of Slytherin winning last year, I felt your tartan needed a color change. – S. Snape” 1984

“Perhaps bonbons will sweeten you up, and a new flower will force you to water yourself as well. Attached is how to care for a Chocolate Cosmos. – Minnie” 1985

“Educate yourself – Macbeth is clearly his best work. – S. Snape” 1988

“Perhaps a fire lily will remind you of who his mother is. And contain your ire in this journal please. – Minnie” 1992

“You’re a combination of Darcy and Collins – find out for yourself and enjoy some chocolate covered cherries while you do. The book is first edition, don’t get cherries on it. – Minnie” 1997

“I did not want to do it, he made me. I’m sorry, the whiskey truffles should say that loudly. Please care for this – the spells within should have never been written down. – Severus T. Snape” 1998. Within the aging potions textbook was a twinkling old man on a chocolate frog card.

* * *

May 3, 1998. Minerva McGonagall sat in a well-loved green and silver tartan as she reread Macbeth. A bottle of mulled whiskey sat opened next to her. Truly momentous indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> The textbook mentioned is the one that Harry would have put in the RoR, however I think that Severus would ask the elves to get it from it's hiding place for him considering the amount of work that went into editing the potions and the spells within it. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think!  
-Farie


End file.
